U.S. patent number 7,233,086 [Application Number 10/752,854] was granted by the patent office on 2007-06-19 for power line conditioner.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Belkin International, Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott M. Borden, Randy J. King, Ronald C. Moffatt.
United States Patent |
7,233,086 |
Borden , et al. |
June 19, 2007 |
Power line conditioner
Abstract
An electrical power conditioning apparatus in accordance with
the present invention generally includes an electrical input for
receiving power from the power source, a surge suppression circuit
and a plurality of electrical outlets. A plurality of parallel
channels connect the input to at least one of the plurality of
outlets. At least one of the plurality of channels includes a
filter circuit and a current sensor circuit for measuring the
current through the channel. One or more displays are electrically
connected to the current measuring to a visual indication of
voltage and current measurements.
Inventors: |
Borden; Scott M. (Rochester,
NY), King; Randy J. (Rochester, NY), Moffatt; Ronald
C. (Rochester, NY) |
Assignee: |
Belkin International, Inc.
(Compton, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
34711689 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/752,854 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20050146827 A1 |
Jul 7, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
307/147 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02H
9/005 (20130101); G01R 19/2513 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01B
7/30 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;307/147 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
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|
Primary Examiner: Deberadinis; Robert L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bryan Cave LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. An electrical power conditioning apparatus electrically
connecting a power source to two or more electrical devices, the
apparatus comprising: an electrical input capable of receiving
power from the power source; a surge suppression circuit; two or
more electrical outlets; one or more first channels, each of the
one or more first channels electrically connecting the electrical
input to at least a first of the two or more electrical outlets;
each of the one or more first channels comprising: a two-stage
filter; and a current sensor circuit capable of measuring the
current through the first channel; one or more second channels,
each of the one or more second channels electrically connecting the
electrical input to at least a second of the two or more electrical
outlets; each of the one or more second channels comprising: a
one-stage filter; and a current sensor circuit capable of measuring
the current through the second channel; and one or more displays
electrically connected to the current sensor circuits of the one or
more first and second channels, and capable of providing a visual
indication of current measurements from the current sensor circuits
of the one or more first and second channels, wherein: in each of
the one or more first channels, the current sensor circuit is
positioned at an output of the two-stage filter; and in each of the
one or more second channels, the current sensor circuit is
positioned at an output of the one-stage filter.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one or more
voltage measuring circuits electrically connected to the one or
more displays, wherein: the one or more displays are capable of
providing a visual indication of voltage measurements by the one or
more voltage measuring circuits.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: each of the one or more first
channels further comprises: an EMI suppression circuit; and each of
the one or more second channels further comprises: an EMI
suppression circuit.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one or more third
channels, each of the one or more third channels electrically
connecting the electrical input to at least a third one of the two
or more electrical outlets; and each of the one or more third
channels comprising: a current sensor circuit capable of measuring
the current through the third channel, wherein: each of the one or
more third channels are devoid of a two-stage filter and a
one-stage filter; and the one or more displays are electrically
connected to the current sensor circuits of the one or more third
channels, and are capable of providing a visual indication of
current measurements from the current sensor circuits of the one or
more third channels.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: each of the one or more third
channels further comprises: an EMI suppression circuit.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein: each of the one or more first
channels further comprises: an EMI suppression circuit; and each of
the one or more second channels further comprises: an EMI
suppression circuit.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: one or more
voltage measuring circuits electrically connected to the one or
more displays, wherein: the one or more displays are capable of
providing a visual indication of voltage measurements by the one or
more voltage measuring circuits.
8. An electrical power conditioning apparatus electrically
connecting a power source to two or more electrical devices, the
apparatus comprising: an electrical input capable of receiving
power from the power source; a surge suppression circuit; two or
more electrical outlets; one or more first channels, each of the
one or more first channels electrically connecting the electrical
input to at least a first of the two or more electrical outlets;
each of the one or more first channels comprising: a two-stage
filter; and a current sensor circuit capable of measuring the
current through the first channel; one or more second channels,
each of the one or more second channels electrically connecting the
electrical input to at least a second of the two or more electrical
outlets; each of the one or more second channels comprising: a
current sensor circuit capable of measuring the current through the
second channel; and one or more displays electrically connected to
the current sensor circuits of the one or more first and second
channels, and capable of providing a visual indication of current
measurements from the current sensor circuits of the one or more
first and second channels, wherein: each of the one or more second
channels are devoid of a two-stage filter and a one-stage filter;
in each of the one or more first channels, the current sensor
circuit is positioned at an output of the two-stage filter.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: each of the one or more first
channels further comprises: an EMI suppression circuit; and each of
the one or more second channels further comprises: an EMI
suppression circuit.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: one or more
voltage measuring circuits electrically connected to the one or
more displays, wherein: the one or more displays are capable of
providing a visual indication of voltage measurements by the one or
more voltage measuring circuits.
11. An electrical power conditioning apparatus electrically
connecting a power source to two or more electrical devices, the
apparatus comprising: an electrical input capable of receiving
power from the power source; a surge suppression circuit; two or
more electrical outlets; one or more first channels, each of the
one or more first channels electrically connecting the electrical
input to at least a first of the two or more electrical outlets;
each of the one or more first channels comprising: a one-stage
filter; and a current sensor circuit capable of measuring the
current through the first channel; one or more second channels,
each of the one or more second channels electrically connecting the
electrical input to at least a second of the two or more electrical
outlets; each of the one or more second channels comprising: a
current sensor circuit capable of measuring the current through the
second channel; and one or more displays electrically connected to
the current sensor circuits of the one or more first and second
channels, and capable of providing a visual indication of current
measurements from the current sensor circuits of the one or more
first and second channels, wherein: each of the one or more second
channels are devoid of a two-stage filter and a one-stage filter;
in each of the one or more first channels, the current sensor
circuit is positioned at an output of the one-stage filter.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: each of the one or more
first channels further comprises: an EMI suppression circuit; and
each of the one or more second channels further comprises: an EMI
suppression circuit.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: one or more
voltage measuring circuits electrically connected to the one or
more displays, wherein: the one or more displays are capable of
providing a visual indication of voltage measurements by the one or
more voltage measuring circuits.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of power line devices for
electrical power distribution, and more specifically, to a
multi-outlet power line conditioner that allows several
electrically powered devices to be coupled to a single outlet and
provides surge protection, filtering and visual voltage and current
indications.
BACKGROUND
Multi-outlet power conditioners provide high purity electrical
power to multiple electronic devices powered using a single wall
outlet. Such devices often contain surge protection circuits for
protecting consumer electronics, such as computers, televisions and
other audio/visual equipment, from damage resulting from random
power surges and voltage spikes. Power conditioners also typically
contain filtering elements for reducing AC power line noise.
One shortcoming of conventional power conditioners is that they
generally do not provide a visual indication of power conditions so
that the user can determine if the electronic devices are receiving
power at optimal voltage and current conditions. One attempt to
overcome this problem is described in Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No.
6,456,091. Lee generally describes a power line conditioner having
LED indicators for showing input current received by the power line
conditioner from the wall outlet.
However, power conditioners are typically used to power multiple
electrical devices, such as, separate audio, visual or computer
devices, having different power requirements. While Lee generally
describes a means for detecting and displaying input current from
the wall outlet, it fails to provide an effective means for
monitoring and displaying the voltage and current delivered to the
separate outlets for each electrical device. Furthermore, Lee does
not provide a means for measuring electrical current conditions
after transmission through the circuitry of the power conditioner.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a power
conditioner having the capability of monitoring and displaying
voltage and current actually received by the separate electronic
devices.
The present invention provides these and other advantages over
conventional power line conditioners.
SUMMARY
An electrical power conditioning apparatus in accordance with the
present invention generally includes an electrical input for
receiving power from the power source, a surge suppression circuit
and a plurality of electrical outlets. A plurality of parallel
channels connect the input to at least one of the plurality of
outlets. At least one of the plurality of channels includes a
filter circuit and a current sensor circuit for measuring the
current through the channel. One or more displays are electrically
connected to the current measuring circuits to provide a visual
indication of voltage and current measurements.
DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention will become more fully apparent from the following
detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings
where:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a power conditioner
apparatus in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a surge suppression
circuit;
FIG. 3 is a schematic of an embodiment of an internal power
supply;
FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a voltage signal
conditioner;
FIG. 5 is a schematic of an embodiment of a current signal
conditioner;
FIG. 6 is a schematic of an embodiment of a system controller;
FIG. 7 is a schematic of an embodiment of a remote control;
FIG. 8 is a schematic of an embodiment of a user interface and
display controller;
FIG. 9 is a schematic of an embodiment of outlet channels; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic of an embodiment of a power conditioner
apparatus of the present invention having a single current sensing
circuit.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures
illustrate the general elements of the apparatus. Description and
details of well-known features and techniques are omitted to avoid
unnecessarily obscuring the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An electrical power conditioning apparatus in accordance with the
present invention comprises an electrical input for receiving power
from the power source, a surge suppression circuit, a plurality of
electrical outlets and plurality of parallel channels connecting
the input to one or more of the outlets. One or more of the
plurality of channels includes a filter circuit and a current
sensor circuit for measuring the current through each channel. A
display is electrically connected to the current measuring circuit
to provide a visual indication of current measurements.
Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the power line
conditioner apparatus 10 comprises the following main components:
surge suppression circuit 12, internal power supply 14, voltage
signal conditioner 16, current signal conditioner 18, system
controller 20, user interface and display controller 22, remote
control 24, and outlet channels 26. The apparatus 10 may be
electrically coupled to received power from a standard wall outlet
via a plug and/or cord or, alternatively, may be directly connected
to a source of power without a plug and/or cord.
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a surge suppression circuit 12.
In the illustrated example, the surge suppression circuit is
electrically coupled to an electrical power source via an
electrical input, such as a plug 13. The surge suppression circuit
12 can include one or more filters 28, which are preferably
configured to filter higher frequency noise. The surge suppression
circuit 12 can also include various monitoring circuits 30 for
monitoring the condition of the surge suppression circuits. These
monitoring circuits may provide output as shown indicating whether
there has been a failure in the surge protection circuit or whether
the source of power is operationally useful (e.g., whether a proper
ground exists or whether the hot and neutral conditions are
proper). Various other surge protection devices known in the art
can be also be used.
FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of an internal power supply
circuit 14 for generating voltages required for various internal
components of the apparatus. Various other internal power supply
devices known in the art can be also be used.
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a voltage signal conditioner
16. Voltage signal conditioner 16 is electrically connected to one
or more voltage sensor circuits 17. The voltage signal conditioner
16 receives an AC signal from one or more voltage sensor circuits
17 and converts the signal to a proportional DC signal, which is
transmitted to the system controller 20 (FIG. 6).
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a current signal conditioner
18. The current signal conditioner 18 is electrically connected to
a plurality of current sensor circuits 44 (shown in FIG. 9).
Current signal conditioner 18 receives an AC signal from the
current sensor 44 and converts the signal to a proportional DC
signal, which is transmitted to the system controller 20 (FIG.
6).
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a system controller 20. A
function of the system controller is to receive DC signals from the
voltage signal conditioner 16 and current signal conditioner 18,
process those signals, and transmit control signals to the user
interface and display control 22 (FIG. 8). The system controller 20
also includes a processor and associated circuitry for controlling
the overall operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a remote control circuit 24.
Functions of the remote control 24 include permitting the apparatus
to receive external signals from other devices to turn the
apparatus on and off.
FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface and display
controller 22. The display provides a visual indication of current
and voltage measurements and other indications.
FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of circuitry for the outlet
channels 26, which includes a plurality of parallel channels 32a,
32b, 32c, 32d, 32e and 32f. Each channel transmits electrical power
to one or more electrical outlets 34. Each channel can include a
power relay or switch 36 for independently turning the channel on
and off. One or more channels can include filter circuits of
various configurations. For example, the illustrated embodiment
channels 32a and 32b have a two-stage filter 40, whereas channels
32c and 32d have a single stage filter configuration 42. The
apparatus can also include one or more unfiltered channels. Such
channels may be preferable for use for high power devices, such as
stereo amplifiers. The illustrated embodiment includes one such
unfiltered channel 32f. Each channel can also include an EMI
suppression circuit 45 for suppressing high frequency noise
transmitted to or from the outlets (e.g., from electrical devices
plugged into the apparatus). The EMI suppression circuit can
comprise, for example, a Ferrite core device.
One or more of the channels includes a current sensing circuit 44
for sensing the current through the channel. In the illustrated
embodiment, each channel 32a 32f includes a current sensing circuit
44. The current sensing circuit can be located anywhere on the
outlet channel, but is preferably located at the output of the
filter (e.g., filters 40 and 42) close to the electrical outlets
34. Such positioning allows the current sensing circuit to
accurately measure current delivered to the outlets 34 and not
include current losses in the filter circuit and other control
circuits of the apparatus. Thus, the apparatus provides an accurate
measurement of the current of each separate channel as actually
delivered to the electrical devices powered through the power
conditioning apparatus.
FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an alternative embodiment of the
power conditioning apparatus having a single current sensing
circuit 46 for measuring the sum of the current through the
plurality of channels. In the illustrated embodiment, the power
conditioning apparatus generally includes surge suppression
circuitry 12, internal power supply 14, voltage signal conditioner
16, current signal conditioner 18, and remote control 24, which
have a similar structure and function to the corresponding elements
of the multiple current sensing embodiment described above. The
illustrated embodiment of the apparatus has a controller 48, which
receives DC signals from the voltage signal conditioner 16 and
current signal conditioner 18, processes those signals and
transmits control signals to the voltage and current status
indicators 50.
The apparatus includes a plurality of parallel outlet channels 52a,
52b, 52c, and 52d. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10 differs
most significantly from the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 9 in
that the current sensing device 46 is configured to detect the sum
of the current through each of the plurality of parallel channels
52a, 52b, 52c and 52d, and transmit an AC signal to current
conditioner 18. As in the embodiment illustrated above, the version
of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 10 includes a two-stage filter
structure 44 on channel 52b and a single stage filter structure 42
on channel 52d.
Although the invention has been described with reference to
specific embodiments, it should be understood that various changes
may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the disclosed examples are intended to be
illustrative of the scope of the invention and are not intended to
be limiting. The scope of the invention is defined as set forth in
the appended claims.
* * * * *
References